Recruiting for talent on the autism spectrum | 60 Minutes Archive

[@loudloveen]

I'd love to work with people on the autism spectrum because they're not interested in gossip, small talk or back stabbing. They're totally focused on their work. I hope more companies hire them.

[@Callitout-kl1uq]

I once worked with a high functioning autistic man. He tried to get me fired because he felt threatened by me.

[@happyclappyslappy]

@@Callitout-kl1uq 😆

[@ParticleLarry]

Small talk and backstabbing no but gossip yes because I want to know everything that's going on around me

[@czos9239]

It’s never a free lunch. When people on the spectrum act up it’s even a bigger hassle.

[@sokawai5]

I don't gossip but I do talk about things that I have proof of seeing and stuff. And so when I tell those certain people about things, they're like "oh no no, I don't really like drama" BRO? You think I'm tryna start problems or like talking bad about people because it boosts my supposed EGO?? No bro, I'm just saying stories. True stories. Nobody likes stories anymore lol. Some bozo nimwads.

[@TeresaDeM]

Lack of the ability to communicate doesn’t mean lack of knowledge 🎉💯

[@curiousone6129]

But it does mean that an employee not having reasonable ability to communicate in a business setting becomes impractical.

[@TeresaDeM]

@@curiousone6129 absolutely. That’s why it’s great there are opportunities for people like this to have jobs where they are able to function properly and communicate to the capacity they are able too and still meet the job qualifications😊

[@curiousone6129]

@@TeresaDeM Yes, the key isn't to shoehorn everyone who would like certain type of job into a job that doesn't fully meet the employers needs or fit the job seekers abilities. The job seeker needs to seek a job that they able to full the requirements for that job.

[@marcialabrahantes3369]

​@@curiousone6129 in some jobs, the work is the documentation itself. they could be given less than an "equal" employee due to the overhead of tracking it, if any, but not by much depending on the work

[@siewmj1]

You need people with very good communication skill to work with them. even non-autistic have communication issue

[@computer-training-for-seniors]

People on the autism spectrum face by far the worst discrimination by employers. I was unemployed for a long time until I decided to be my own boss and start my own business. That was 19 years ago and I have never looked back.

[@user-jt5vm3mi1w]

false

[@tonyg76]

@@user-jt5vm3mi1w How do you know? Reading that and being on the spectrum myself, I would agree with that. Who faces worse in your opinion?

[@curiousone6129]

Smart move! Congratulations. Hope your business is thriving.

[@PraveenSrJ01]

I am on the autism spectrum and I completely agree 👍🏿 and don’t like talking to complete strangers

[@SynthwaveDuck]

Good going

[@michelem226]

This only works if employers take reasonable accommodations seriously. Letting autistic people work from home, for example. Also, allowing them to skip unnecessary meetings or social events that may be draining for them, and just letting them read the meeting summary instead. For autistic employees that need to be onsite, they need a quiet, private place they can retreat to when they feel overwhelmed and also be encouraged to use it, so that they don't have sensory meltdowns.

[@curiousone6129]

Nope. Not fair to others who might want special accommodations for their own reasons. Accommodating everyone's special situations is costly, and a nightmare to manage. ADHD certainly shouldn't work from home give destractability issues and poor access for management on short notice. Not a believer that home working is good for business. After all Inclusivity isn't the purpose of a business. If you can't do the job without warping business practices, get a different job. Sorry, but I've been on both ends of this

[@michelem226]

@@curiousone6129 In the U.S., reasonable accommodation is the law under the Americans with Disability Act. Employers can get in trouble if they don't give people with disabilities reasonable accommodations. It's the law!

[@curiousone6129]

@@michelem226 dad. The key word is REASONABLE!

[@michelem226]

@@curiousone6129 Those are reasonable accommodations under the law.

[@curiousone6129]

@@michelem226 Sorry, but I disagree. While someone may be willing to bring such a case before the Court, it doesn't make it viable. Too many loopholes and weasle words. Where did you graduate from law school? I went to University of North Carolina. I'd be happy to fight such a case in court. We'd probably both make some serious money!

[@CrocodileWhispers]

My autistic friend that works with me is a lot smarter than people give him credit for. He is a very honorable man that lives by his principles

[@paxhumana2015]

Hopefully, he found love with a neurotypical woman in his life.

[@bhairavi-maa]

"The ability to communicate doesn't equal intelligence" 💯💪🏽

[@WritingCountingOriginal]

My entire family who I’ve known my whole life talks all the time and rarely gets anywhere. That saying is on point!

[@nihilnihil161]

Qui-Gon Jinn was very wise

[@gingerfeliciano9531]

The autism team = a 90% reduction in errors. Thats amazing.

[@fanofMcGonagall]

Imagine if local, state, and federal government hired them to find errors on items before releasing them to the public to use.

[@ReiverBlue1971]

Ahha! People who truely appreciate the autistic mind ;)

[@beanpasteposts]

I’m autistic and I risk having a meltdown and feeling like the world is ending if I make even a slight error. The attention to detail thing is real, but it def has its drawbacks💀

[@vvevv88]

I hope they're being compensated accordingly. That's a lot of money they're saving those companies.

[@ReiverBlue1971]

@@vvevv88 Damned good point!

[@LittleRadicalThinker]

Job interview is the hardest part to me in my entire life. Even anxiety or depression didn’t make me feel so bad. So many jobs I knew they were easy, but the interview was just such a hellish experience I chose the job with the easiest job interview and next to no actual human interactions.

[@KourtneysPlasticSaladBowl]

i love how the professor was so proud of dan and made sure to let anderson know how major dan really is!

[@iNick90]

So I have autism, I found my career path as a truck driver it's very nice to be alone for long periods of time managing my own day on my own terms. However I had a week of light duty due to a minor injury. And they gave me the task of sorting all the drivers stats in an Excel sheet they said that it takes them normally 8 hours to do. I had everything completed and finished in less than 30 minutes 😂. I ended up spending the majority of my time on light duty teaching people in the office how to use their computers.

[@c2819fnf]

Dude. I saw all the sonic shi% on your channel. Amazing. Don’t let anybody use you though. People will take advantage of you for less pay to somebody else to use your talents. They’ll use you for free rather than doing the hard work and the right thing which is to pay somebody experienced to do it.

[@iNick90]

@@c2819fnfI'm glad I gifted you some soundtracks to listen to! I'm not too worried about pay, math is one of my strong skills and atm I'm trucking for $42/hr 😁

[@janetslicer3637]

Touché!

[@c2819fnf]

@@iNick90 ya but people will still you use you

[@buttercupj6208]

Congratulations 🎉

[@erickatesar6044]

My beautiful daughter can't speak. But she is so smart in some areas. I hope for spaces in early education for children on the spectrum with exceptional gifts.

[@Pugetwitch]

How old is she?

[@tara5742]

A job isn’t just for pay though. As time goes on she may value being around other teens or 20 something’s and a job or volunteer task is a great place to test the waters. Also, Gen Z is extremely accommodating and not just open, but excited to get to know anyone that has a disadvantage.

[@yikesmoment01]

That's fascinating, if you wouldn't mind sharing, which areas is she gifted in?

[@erickatesar6044]

@@yikesmoment01 she types and spells at an advanced level. She can search for words in other languages and figured out how to adjust her keyboard to type in other languages' characters and switch back to English.

[@missellyssa]

My sister is on the spectrum. She has a really hard time getting hired because she doesn't interview well. When she does get hired, she has trouble keeping jobs because they expect something different from her. She works SO hard. My mom insists that she should not tell employers about her situation, and each new job loss kills a little piece of her. And, me. (We're twins.)

[@KaCaro38]

Love seeing these stories and how autistic people are included on such important tasks and scientific work. Unfortunately autism is still misunderstood by different areas of society without realizing how crazy smart they are 💙💪✨

[@fanofMcGonagall]

I'm a firm believer that those with Autism simply have the latest and greatest operating system in the brain while the rest of us are using legacy software. Humanity will need these minds to solve incredibly complex problems if we are to survive as a species here on Earth or elsewhere. I'm so glad to hear NASA mentioned at one point, because this raw talent is sorely needed for space exploration.

[@c2819fnf]

Raw talent

[@ultimape]

If you look at it from a swarm intelligence perspective, it ends up being that the entire swarm needs a diversity of individuals to be able to perform well as a collective group. There are studies showing for effective foraging behavior, you need bees that have a sort of ADHD because they end up being good at discovering new food sources because they get bored easily. But too many and the colony doesn't end up capitalizing on existing food sources.effectively. When you frame many human endeavors in terms of foraging for information, it starts to look similar to how this diversity within the beehive makes them more effective. When you look at people like Isaac Newton and his strange behaviors, you realize that these aren't necessarily the latest and greatest operating system, but a natural variation that occurs throughout history. Balancing these traits seems to be something that our modern society doesn't do well. We're not going to be able to integrate people like us into society to solve these complex problems until we start to look at it under a new light. One of the sayings I'm fond of from the autism community is "different not less". It also adds an implied "different not more". I think it's a mistake to judge certain individuals as greater than another because it ends up that we start "missing the forest for the trees".

[@Here4TheHeckOfIt]

​@@ultimapeMakes a lot of sense, yet people resist information in favor of their beliefs. It's maddening 😂

[@sinisterintelligence3568]

I have autism and LOVE space exploration!!

[@marcusrosales3344]

More like Lynux vs Windows: maybe not as user friendly, but Lynux excels in many applications.

[@ghostlytavern129]

I’m autistic and it’s so difficult to get a job, I became very obsessed with perfecting the way I mask myself. I’m 20 and it’s so hard I love to work but I’m not good at talking to other people. Interviews are far harder than working in general because I know I need to impress this person and show I’m useful but I never know how.

[@Dancestar1981]

Not all individuals with autism and adhd are skilled for the tech business many of us are skilled in the performing arts but have just been denied the opportunities we need to shine

[@RM-xr8lq]

Not all neurotypical individuals are skilled for tech business either...

[@Sulfen]

Autistic people never cease to amaze me. They are all very attentive to details and because of that they are very thoughtful and sweet towards you if they like you. My friend's autistic son was shy around me at first but once he felt safe around me he does not stop talking to me about random things. When I'm driving he always makes sure the music is the perfect volume for me and always remembers what everyone is comfortable with. When I drive and I need to take a prescription he hands me the bottle of water to make it easier for me. And when he helps me fix my cars he knows how to fix them before I give him instructions because he's a car guy and watched every ChrisFix video there is. I think that we need to give them more respect for their abilities so that they don't struggle through life. Every autistic person I know struggled to find a job some didn't find one until they were 22+.

[@natalieeuley1734]

The hardest part about being AuDHD in the workplace is balancing challenge and boredom. I'm either overly challenged or bored and very little in between. The closest job that felt like the right balance was being a technical trainer, but technical training done by a person is a disappearing industry, bring replaced by online courses. So I am trying for my masters in instructional design, to see if the replacement for technical training is that same ideal balance

[@devonhughes3805]

I can totally relate. It is REALLY tough navigating those extremes. I'm glad you're aware of that dynamic.

[@Dancestar1981]

I have both conditions and the workforce has always been a toxic environment for me

[@Sunset4Semaphores]

Diagnosis of mild spectrum autism in my early 30s has cost me everything: my 17+ year military career, all my jobs, and in general all the happiness in my life. It is not fair to be treated this way. I'm an electrical engineer, veteran, and extremely qualified in the cyber and IT system admin space. No one offers jobs to someone with this condition used to be called aspergers... thank you DSM-5!

[@cheeesysandwich]

Then why did you decide to get a diagnosis? Also, you don't have to disclose you're autistic to prospective employers; and even if you do disclose, they legally can't discriminate against you. So, the diagnosis shouldn't be impacting your job search in any way. This is coming from an autistic cyber security engineer.

[@ranelgallardo7031]

Oh most employees were surveyed that they would fire someone with that condition and thanks to heartless lobbying it’s exempted from job discrimination lawsuits

[@1fareast14]

I didn't know autism dx was forces public. I wouldn't have gotten my job if I couldn't his my disability.

[@exzld]

It's kind of like how pit bulls are banned from most insurance requirements even though they can be great dogs when under control and watch. Sorry for the loss you incurred.. Really is unfortunate. Also had in early 30s (other year) diagnosis, didn't lose anything because I didn't have anything. I'm fairly impressed you made it through boot camp and all those years. It was a different story for me, ended at boot. What are you doing now?

[@ashleigh3021]

@@exzldIt’s not even remotely like that lmao. Pitbulls are incredibly dangerous and were artificially bred to produce a specific phenotype.

[@ShadoeLandman]

I’m Autistic. I have a master’s degree and work as a custodian for $13/hour. I’m 50 years old. I’ve been called flat, creepy, uncanny, weird, antisocial, and more. I’ve been fired for not being expressive enough. I’ve heard Autistic coworkers made fun of behind their backs by bosses and coworkers and be deliberately given awful and triggering duties until they quit.

[@Elsewhen404]

My ever being employed, I presently feel, is a joke.

[@CrankyRayy]

thats horrible. i ***ing hate coworkers who gossip about one another.

[@66kaisersoza]

My dad works with someone autistic. He says he's funny and interesting but only a couple of people have time for him sadly.

[@kikijewell2967]

8:06 block design test. I took this test in college. The tester was very quiet when I was done. He said in his 30 years of testing, he's never seen anyone solve the test as fast as I had. Today.....I now know why.

[@nathancasey3391]

Had a girl at highschool she knew every individual kids daily class schedule. She was 100% accurate. She was like a computer.

[@vectoralphaSec]

Autism is basically a superpower.

[@SynthwaveDuck]

Arguably, computers are like us. What is more, Autists may be largely responsible for the development of the personal computer.

[@fi1251]

This just gave me so much hope for my children on the spectrum ❤

[@Black_Jesus3005]

I just hope they’re compensated fairly and not taken advantage of.

[@jul.escobar]

I'm here to tell you we are not paid fairly and most certainly taken advantage of.

[@daisysummer514]

@@jul.escobardisgusting. Keep your talents for yourself is my advice

[@jul.escobar]

@@daisysummer514 I'm learning to pour back into myself. Everything out is just wasted

[@HenriettaHudson-we4wv]

I agree!!!

[@ashtonstout7375]

I can't speak for the people in this interview, because they are not like my child, but I have a seventeen year old daughter who has severe autism. She is non-verbal and mentally disabled. She's cognitively two to three years old and she always will be. Teachers in her special education classroom have been shocked that I don't want to send her to a "job" where she will do simple, repetitive tasks for little to no money. Most likely, no money for hours of work she does not care about or gain pleasure or a sense of purpose from. No, a business owner is not going to get free labor from my severely disabled daughter. Not that I would send her to someone's business if they were going to pay her a fair wage. She has no concept of money. She loves children's movies(often the same one on repeat), playdoh, music with a good beat, large spaces to wander around in, positive vibes, and affection.

[@ComradeStiv]

Hoo man . . Anyone else crying right about now? I didn't know this beautiful thing was happening. A long time coming 🙏✨

[@gigahorse1475]

I’m a late diagnosed autistic woman. The “cliff” is real. I was lucky enough to be hired, but the environment I’m in is no good for me, leading to severe burnout, multiple meltdowns, and having to go for 3 months medical leave.

[@MechakittenX]

I'm scared to get diagnosed due to the stigma. It follows you around and hinders opportunities. Almost like a felony. It's ridiculous.

[@kikijewell2967]

I've learned it's much easier to tell people symptoms than a diagnosis. Like, "I don't like bright lights." Or "I'm just a bit oversensitive to the texture of that food." People often can relate and empathize with likes and dislikes better.

[@MechakittenX]

@@kikijewell2967 that makes sense. I'll have to try that.

[@kikijewell2967]

@@MechakittenX hey, hope it helps. We're all figuring out this Life thing!❤️

[@BellaLola26]

People only know your diagnosis if you tell them. It’s medical info that is protected by law. A diagnosis could open doors for you down the line if you choose to disclose it. Best of luck to you!

[@Rami7605]

You keep the secret to yourself 😊

[@JapanPlayASMR]

I am a father of 3 boys on the spectrum. I hope that in the future it can be possible for my kids to get a job and sustain themselves. Stories like this give me hope for an uncertain future. I am so happy this father was able to give them an opportunity!

[@bigmacattk]

All three on the spectrum? How does that happen. Statistically thats hard

[@NANA-su5ql]

@@bigmacattkI mean you always have the chance of getting struck by lightning twice, stuff just happens sometimes.

[@cutterholt3987]

Tech sector should be looking for talent so good with details.

[@SynthwaveDuck]

Tech sector interested in fashionable hires

[@curiousone6129]

Fashion yourself to be a hire able. Good advice whomever you are, and whatever job you are seeking.

[@lovelyswimmer1]

As they should be

[@kikijewell2967]

Probably all of silicon valley is on the spectrum. 😂 Not joking here. (Elon Musk admitted to being ND for instance.)

[@Archisphera]

I am on the spectrum and do consulting work in architecture and engineering. Autism can be fantastic. I have designed tons of libraries, museums, university halls, jails, and even a full three chamber courthouse. For many firms, I am their secret weapon and critical to their profit stream. There are challenges, though. I easily get overwhelmed or lose motivation if the work gets too repetitive or boring. I like the challenge of a really tough project and find mundane ones torturous. Wierdest thing is I generally serve as the point man in a room full of architects, engineers, board members, and often even politicians, helping to organize each persons role, and I never went to college. People just see what I do and ask, "What do you need from us."

[@kkdoc7864]

This is what inclusion means. It should be based on merit which is impressively demonstrated here. Very happy to see this happening.

[@dialac1]

I agree

[@vvevv88]

"Based on merit" is literally the opposite of inclusion, but whatever...

[@kkdoc7864]

@@vvevv88 you’re absolutely right. This was the one time where a marginalized group was hired because of their abilities and not because of identity. So, my comment sounded like an oxymoron, I was only pointing out that meritocracy should be the driving force to fill positions, but in this case an undervalued group also became included. Just an interesting observation.

[@vvevv88]

@@kkdoc7864 It's a step in the right direction, and it's always good to see people being recognized for their abilities. The recruitment research is genuinely groundbreaking. Personally, I think everyone should be working less and dignity shouldn't be tied to labor but that's a different tangent.

[@NoNameNumberTwo]

If the interviews for autistic candidates are just based on their ability to do the job, why not interview all candidates that way?

[@subanark]

The current interview process is just broken and unfair to people on and off the spectrum. The whole notion of "red flags" just encourages people to lie, when telling the brutal truth is generally preferable (a common trait amongst people on the spectrum). If I were to do an interview, I would tell the interviewee a few days before the interview exactly what non-technical questions I will ask, and the type of answer I expect from them, such as "What does customer trust mean to you". As for the technical question I will keep an open mind and give plenty of room for the interviewee to impress me.

[@Pugetwitch]

I'm autistic and I'm also a former hiring manager at a healthcare center where I hired licensed mental health practitioners to support people with complex personality and substance use disorders. You don't want to hint or lead on to what answer you are seeking from any perspective employee. Give them open-ended questions like the one that you listed for sure, but don't tell them what you expect that answer to me. Perhaps I'm misunderstanding what your intention was when you we're expressing yourself above "the type of answer..."

[@subanark]

@@Pugetwitch Just scoping it so it doesn't go off the rails. Like with "What does customer trust mean to you" I expect an answer around the meaning of customer trust, not a discussion on your experiences with customer service.

[@tedmcfly]

I always gotta remind folks: you're not boring or stupid, I'm just autistic.

[@KTPDAILY]

Thank you - this is very important to understand. I wish you well.

[@gigahorse1475]

I’m boring, stupid, and autistic!

[@creativesolutionstoart]

Lol I get it :-) what you’re saying is most people with autism find Neurotypical people boring and stupid at times… So it’s not that they are boring or stupid it’s just that when you have autism other people can look that way! Lol very true :-)

[@SideB1984]

I won an EEOC case against big tech for autism discrimination. It doesn’t matter if they recruit us if they can’t handle when we call them out on all their gaps, because that’s what we do! I have traits of Extreme Systemizer, went to big 10, graduated with Master’s 3.84 GPA. I’ve had 9 lawyers in the decade I worked in tech. I did make $1.5 million in my short career. Neurological autistic burnout is much more severe than regular burnout. After that much trauma and damage, it’s not likely I’ll recover from the pain of trying to join along in society. I’m DONE! The double empathy divide is REAL. The mass gaslighting neurotypical people and systems do to neurodivergent folks is abhorrent. Minority doesn’t mean wrong. Impact is greater than intention. All these intentions are paving a road to hell. Suicide rate is 13x higher in our community and BS like this just perpetuates all the reasons why we can’t be part of your world safely.

[@growtocycle6992]

Forget these employers that tell you that they are making a position just for you. You may find more happiness in something simple and repetitive, but it's fricken hard

[@drivers99]

@@growtocycle6992I heard that merchandiser was a good job for the autistic spectrum. They go into the store for a brand and set up their merchandise in a specified way, note down what products they need more of, and they do it on their own schedule (at least that’s what I heard when I looked into it).

[@devonhughes3805]

I'm 43 and barely holding on professionally. I'm afraid to get the diagnosis but its becoming more and more obvious to me.

[@loganskiwyse7823]

For far too many of us, this is too little far too late. I am 60 and no one even knew I had Autism or ADHD until the mid 50s. Homeless as often as employed and never able to socialize with individuals at work or outside work.

[@monicarose2135]

Great! This is what the world needs; using this unique skill set

[@ec8687]

My entire life I’ve had a hard time with mathematics, remembering things and as a child I had a learning disability. I look up to these individuals.

[@Fredrovicius]

Was this supposed to make me cry? I never felt so validated, I never felt like I had a purpose other than to be weird and not fit in - that statement of feeling like an Alien? You took that from my mouth and I'm honestly having tears of validation pouring down my face. People confused me for angry all the time as well as being a narcissist.

[@daisysummer514]

Wonderful! I hope your life gets better and better 😊

[@CrankyRayy]

same i always fear that people will think im a narcissist or something because i rarely express myself lol

[@zoetrain1309]

I’m autistic and getting and keeping jobs is soooo hard. I’m highly intelligent and college educated never struggled much academically but I’ve never managed to become fully employed. I suppose it’s the social and communication side of things that makes it hard to be taken seriously or as a viable candidate especially trying to decide whether or not to disclose my autism during an interview. It can help them maybe understand my social deficits and not use it as a reason to not consider me but also a lot of times disclosing just leads to them immediately assuming you’re not capable or qualified for a position but if I don’t disclose will I mask my symptoms well enough for them to notice that I’m “off” or “socially awkward”. Great video although I wish there would’ve been more women with autism shown as the people shown while deserving and accomplished are all disproportionately men.

[@CurriedMexican]

My 27 year daughter lasts 6 months tops at a job before her anxiety finally gets to her. I volunteer with her to socialize her and keep her from self isolation.

[@curiousone6129]

Maybe working at a temp agency might be a good option.

[@NY_Mountain_Man]

Also, while I'm the subject. How some people treat people with autism disgusts me to a truly unreasonable degree.

[@raphaelgerarddelacruz6774]

As a librarian with ASD, I could relate with them especially on the challenges on dealing with body communication and cues. Employers must also be flexible on hiring strategies for people in the spectrum who are capable to work.

[@juliehogan8964]

I'm undiagnosed, but my doctor and therapist suspect I'm on the spectrum. The only reason at this point I'd get officially diagnosed would be for accommodations like those mentioned. I have a job currently that is very accommodating and actually uses a lot of my abilities I gain from Autism. But I've been in jobs before that they refused or didn't understand why I was having problems. I even got fired from one of those jobs. The workplace is a scary world when you have a disability, but hopefully more companies will take steps like this

[@Lakota828]

May I ask what company you work for? (Or even the position, if you're uncomfortable sharing the company name?) I'm undiagnosed as well, but masking all the time is draining and I would love to find work that allows me to share my strengths without requiring me to conform to small talk, extroversion, and understand my need to be alone (among other things.)

[@BellaLola26]

A diagnosis can be helpful down the line. In California for example there are regional centers for individuals with developmental disabilities that provide an array of wrap around services. If you ever need to apply for SSI they require that the diagnosis be made before age 22. You don’t need to share the info with anyone you don’t want to. You can keep it private until you’re ready to share. Highly recommend you consider doing it asap in case you need it later in life. Best of luck to you!

[@Ojo10]

This is great! I hope that someday there will be a process for AuDHDers as well. Having ADHD complicates things for me, I would want sensory accomidadtions but also need a job that I can do different tasks each day. I'm also not good with memory or numbers but I am very creative, I'm an artist. I hope that someday ALL types of Autistic people can be given a chance.

[@ravenmill]

Same! This video almost focused too heavily on the math-centric autistics. 🥲 I'm a language nerd. ADHD masks the autism that people don't even believe it. Also, I could have nonverbal learning disorder, so the block design test is not for me at all. I remember doing them for testing and screenings as a kid. My attention to detail and patterns can only go so far, despite my autism. I'd be just like Anderson Cooper doing the block test. 😅

[@Exodus004]

This video feels a bit twisted, especially the interview with the EY executive. People with autism are not robots and throughout this video the message I got was how to squeeze the most money/productivity out of workers with autism. Also, not everyone with autism wants to examine data all day or work in a highly technical field :(

[@TheVic18t]

That is not what this video is about at all. Check your bias.

[@curiousone6129]

Some times we must accept less than ideal situations temporarily. Until we can prepare ourselves to qualify for a better job. But it doesn't have to be permanent. It's called paying your dues. This doesn't only happen to autistic people. Most people's entry level jobs don't pay a lot, or are boring, or long hours with less than idea conditions. This has been the norm for many years. This is also good incentive to work on acquiring the skills to get a better job. The reality is also that when an employee reaches the maximum skill level they can achieve (this is not only true with autistic people), the employer cannot and should not continue to either advance their job status or pay them more than their worth is to the company. That would be irresponsible of the employer, unless they are prepared to make them essentially a charity case.. On the other hand, the employer can certainly provide any employee with opportunities if they arise, provided they also meet the companies needs.

[@keikogutierrez5707]

Also we aren’t in a relationship with autism we are autistic.

[@Maelt_]

You could also worry that part of the business incentive is to hire autistic people cheaper. Do you think the guy who made something for Nasa got a raise equal to that? The working enviroment did not seem autism friendly at all to me, it was just an average office building.

[@SynthwaveDuck]

"The only thing worse than being exploited by capitalism is not being exploited by capitalism." ~ Joan Robinson

[@music-is-my-world-83]

This really upsets me because autistic people shouldn't be denied employment ANYWAY, and we shouldn't have to produce 3 times the labor of our peers to be considered "worthy" of work. Also if you're super productive at work, YOU GET EXPLOITED and given way too much work for one person to handle. I think young autistic people are pushed to grind hard to push themselves then end up in burnout. That's what happened to me, and now I can't do nearly the amount of work I used to be able to because I am literally exhausted all the time and my physical health is worse as well. If I could give my younger self advice, I'd tell her to WORK LESS HARD because rest is important. If you're highly competent and productive, your only real reward is going to be MORE WORK to burn yourself out on. NO THANK YOU! How about this? How about companies don't discriminate against disabled people in the first place? What a novel idea!!!!

[@2rx_bni]

The thing that frustrates me is that this report excluded anyone who isn't a man in the panel. Most of us are well hidden because we're nit the DSM-perfect case. I had to figure out this issue on my own. Getting formally diagnosed is hard where I live as an adult and there's not reasonable understanding. My parents moved across the country so I'm alone. I just lost my job because despite popular confusion we have TOO much empathy and mine caused my issues. I'm worried about finding another.

[@towzone]

Difference, not disorder. Neurotypical myopathy is not our fault, just our problem. An autistic intellectual disability could just be average intelligence. I’m gifted and it takes everything I’ve got to communicate with neurotypicals. While a neurotypical with an IQ of 80 can get by on social instinct, which I lack. We shouldn’t have to fake friendship to have a job when we do EXCELLENT work. It is insane that the people who experience less of the world get to define reality.

[@shodapad07]

Very beautiful move by the corporate world. Inspiring and commendable. I myself have learnt to look into the spectrum when the opportunity to recruit arises.

[@Loganl1980]

I’m autistic, never could stay at a job because I need to continue learning new things. As soon as I learn one, I have to leave to learn another. If there’s nothing new to learn, I can’t concentrate.

[@matter3232]

Thank you , I worked on a special needs bus and the autistic children have always astuonded me.

[@elyzsabethahne2116]

A warning to those on the spectrum who are looking to work as proofreaders/copyeditors: AVOID working in financial printing! This is a VERY abusive work environment that will "chew you up and spit you out!"

[@trojanhell7639]

I’ve always been fascinated by people with autism and their intelligence …. Having autistic work for you is like having an artificial intelligence with no capability to socialize . You just need them for their ability’s…. They will skyrocket company performance imo

[@bengaltiger96]

I gotta imagine if they are doing this for TSA, they'll need to do it in a seperate room and relay information back to the agents on the line. The chaos they'd encounter if they were there at the checkpoint would be overwhelming.

[@WalrusesAreTheOne]

The problem is they’re expecting us to either be techy or to work unskilled jobs

[@katibarrett8779]

The capitalists talking about Autistic workers as an 'untapped market'. Good times.

[@ishadow6044]

I relate so much to this being on your parents couch without help 😭,I dropped out of school in 8th or 9th grade due to my anxiety

[@blake8510]

Not your anxiety. Your reaction to your anxiety. People identify with personality defects now. I hope you got the help you needed.

[@7XHARDER]

@@blake8510you make it sound like anxiety isn’t real

[@blake8510]

@@7XHARDER as real as any other emotion. You confront the emotion, do not identify with it, and simply move on. We are teaching the youth that there are no employable strategies to dealing with their own problems. These problems ultimately aren’t REAL, in the sense that they occur subconsciously and in our own heads, without measurement. It’s not like getting chased by a bear. Economic prosperity and no global existential conflicts in recent history has led us to turn inwards and worry about the simple stressors. In my mind the ultimate accountability one can take is being true to yourself and acknowledging shortcomings. Knowing that YOU, barring life-altering clinical diagnoses, are in control of your head. AND are responsible for how you react to your emotions. Everyone’s “different”, like people love to say, but most people are pretty categorically similar. Anxiety for my generation(Z) has become a crutch for poor coping mechanisms, and an excuse for bad parenting strategies.

[@jayriver1644]

Totally understand, has let several life moments and opportunities slip out of my hands too. Rooting for you and the many that struggle daily with anxiety.

[@EnkiduShamesh]

@@blake8510 The anxiety is situational, not a thing in and of itself that must be dealt with. People on the spectrum experience anxiety because of all of the difficulties. This anxiety is a symptom, and while learning to better manage it is great, it isn't the core problem. Like, if you are running away from a rabid dog, do you think "wow, I've got a lot of anxiety, I should deal with that." The rabid dog - the difficulty with communication, the sensory overload, etc. that makes functioning so difficult - is real. It is perfectly rational to be anxious about difficulties you haven't learned/been taught how to deal with, or people who refuse to even acknowledge that those difficulties are real.

[@bfgivmfith]

I have benefited from and enjoyed 60 Minutes ever since I was a child! :) That encompasses about four decades! Thank you! All of you past and present keep relevant information at the forefront.

[@remiwhiteside11]

Accommodations to empower difference and harness strength. That's progress

[@kevn23]

You'll find plenty of people on the spectrum in STEM fields. I am glad society is being more inclusive.

[@michaelstein7510]

I work in GIS, and I’m pretty sure that of the 9 people in my office, 6 of us are autistic. 😂 It’s a profession that works well for us.

[@NY_Mountain_Man]

Sigh... employers say that. But often, it's the employees who have a problem with autism that it results in uncontrollable work place bullying. It's also why I do the job I do. I literally don't see any other trajectory for my own "unique skillsets." Thanks for bringing awareness though.

[@ultimape]

I tried working in an office and the sensory environment was too much for me.

[@SynthwaveDuck]

Flourescent lights are so miserable

[@ultimape]

@@SynthwaveDuck oh yes. To make it worse the office was across from a truck repair stop. Diesel engines rumbling in idle for hours. Would feel it in my entire body. 😭

[@RichardsWorld]

Some of them seem very aware and educated on what is different about themselves. Can the education and self awareness improve themselves?

[@dosesandmimoses]

I too have been unemployed for three years. I attended a top twenty university - I couldn’t even get hired to walk dogs. To walk dogs.

[@joshsmit779]

What degree did you get?

[@dosesandmimoses]

@@joshsmit779 Philosophy minor sociology Emory University- I formally owned two businesses that still are successful.

[@justafewquestions3647]

The autism spectrum is very large. Do more reports.

[@SynthwaveDuck]

Ha, yea send the Silver Fox out to make his seven figures

[@xt34uevo]

Love this story

[@misspat7555]

I’m, as I put it, “violently twice-exceptional”; AuDHD-PI & 99th percentile+ intelligence. I can solve very complex problems, but it’s hard for me to do routine tasks efficiently; I get overwhelmed and distracted. I hope I will be able to keep working my full-time job transporting other disabled people who can’t drive safely to doctor’s appointments and workplaces; I really need the money! 😮‍💨

[@pauljackson171]

That’s beautiful, yeah there are other worries in the world (people remaining employable in fields in face of automation, high cost of living to avg. wages, etc…) but at least some effort made here to provide a way to support oneself with being autistic.

[@NakedSageAstrology]

The struggle is real.

[@xshadowscreamx]

No wonder the boss has compassion, his son has Autism so he (the boss) has stakes in the game. No way most boss’s that does not have an attachment would hire a team of people with autism, unfortunately. Well not until they realise it’s good for tech/corpo business.

[@WalrusesAreTheOne]

We basically end up bullied out of jobs because nobody wants to deal with our issues.

[@bboppppppppppppp]

this is a good dad

[@JoeKlunder1]

I wish every human being had a unique process + social support to get him into his/her best fit job. Imagine how empowering it would be!

[@billyfowler9423]

Why does that office have such a strict dress code? You don't need to be in your Sunday's best to work in a call center.

[@Ad-im1ne]

When people throw around the term autism, this is NOT the kind of person I see in my head. This is what true autism looks like. It’s insane to me that we have a modern all encompassing definition which also lops in people with mild ADHD or OCD.

[@MayaLarsen-y3r]

I am Autistic and I am working in the hotel buis, although I love it I sometimes find it frustraiting and difficult but I do like meeting bew people and talking to them even when I get upset.

[@citylimits8927]

Excellent video overall! However, let me add two additional points that need to be made: First, this video covers the young autistic adults who can't find a job, but mention ALSO needs to be made of the millions of OLDER autistic adults who have spent decades being unemployed or underemployed. I have met some autistics who are facing these issues, and some of them have been unable, for example, to save for retirement or old age medical care. (One person whom I met who was diagnosed with Asperger's in his 50s was worried about "spending retirement on the streets" if you know what I mean!) Secondly, while such programs have admirably found employment for hundreds of adults on the autism spectrum, there are MILLIONS of adults on the spectrum. The support community now needs to take these initial successes and expand them to those millions. Also, a lot of employers will have insufficient resources to provide special support for autistics, yet they may have autistic people working for them and/or applying for the jobs that they offer.

[@DjHazardous]

*Im proud to hear to hear this Autism shouldn't be a barrier for getting a job*

[@tonyg76]

It should not be, but it can be.

[@Couldhavebeensomeone]

I have aspergers and I've always done jobs often the opposite of what I should have. I've been unemployed for over a year. Now I'm homeless and treated like an addict or a criminal.

[@pbj0815]

I love it!! Please hire autistic people because they are awesome! 👏🏼

[@EvanRTedesco]

Me personally, I feel there should be exemptions like this for the military. I have Level 1 ASD, basically different name for Asbergers, and I want to join either the Army for ground work (mainly spec ops), or the Marines for Aviation (Planess, Jets, Top Gun type shi). High possibility I cannot join due to my spectrum ALONE. I just want a chance, at least to get to boot camp. They can make modifications to the recruiting process and add waivers depending, I just feel there should be a say, atleast for high functioning disabled people. But, thats just me.

[@fabiolaflores8919]

I wonder if it’s a don’t ask, don’t tell situation or at least it was 20 years ago. I can’t tell you how many successful people on the spectrum there are in the military because they thrive on routine. I think so long as you have good emotional regulation you should be good. (Most of the adults in the military didn’t know they were on the spectrum)-this is 20 years ago.

[@chachavus]

Military absolutely loves the ASD community and they find them early through ROTC.

[@EvanRTedesco]

Ye and ye. Im working on regulation and have been really well over for basically a year now. Im in a transition program and plan on leaving end of next year when I matriculate to a different college. That way I have more time to work on myself (mental, physical, meds, etc).

[@fabiolaflores8919]

@@EvanRTedesco awesome! Best of luck to you!!!

[@fabiolaflores8919]

@@TwoDogsBigYard that would be very interesting. I have worked with children on the spectrum from 3 years old to 18yrs old for over 20 years. My brain is firing away with all sorts of hypotheses on your question. I’d like to add the layer of then being able to function in society after successfully completing a high stress mission by minimizing PTSD….they are totally still working on that for neurotypical people I wonder if the techniques could differ for ASD by using rule based and pattern thinking to their advantage to minimize PTSD. 🤷‍♀️

[@kingdomVI]

I meet people with autism they are very good at the stuff they focus on, they have poor social skills for sure, but if they know you and see you more, they get more comfortable talking to you. don't mistake it for down syndrome.

[@creativesolutionstoart]

This is so wonderful! To actually put people with a narrow focus or special skill set targeted on that particular category is not only genius, but should actually be common practice you would think… My son is on the spectrum and about to graduate high school on the following year, and yes, I am very worried that Although he is extremely good at fixing and rebuilding small appliances, such as ceiling fans and box fans and has an interest in HVAC units, he primarily focuses on only that, and not the other surrounding pieces of what a job like that would include for him. He does not like to work with Numbers or sort through data and repetition such as these people here. He has a bit of defiance and narrow focus on repetitive sensory input, for example, he likes to listen to emergency sirens as a way to calm his mind… I know that sounds super counterintuitive, but it’s the way he is :-) Hoping we can figure out where to put his focus and help him lead a productive work life.

[@rayrocher6887]

Thanks for giving creative but trouble people, a career chances, good people, great heroes work , thanks amen

[@ChristianAVS]

Wonderful step forward

[@kevincall1427]

People has to believe that autism is real. It’s a special gift from god.

[@hollieblack7194]

Interesting video. I am Autistic myself and i find in Interesting how the Autistic mind works. I believe Autistic person are more visually thinking than non Autistic people.

[@KiamatChange-ke8nd]

9:45 It is. They think different. Their have different neuron connection that "normal" people won't understand although it's correct.

[@yourma2000]

"They know what they're talking about, they just can't look you in the eye whilst they say it." ~Chris Williamson, 2021.

[@Ethanthecrazy]

Oh boy, capitalism is learning to exploit my disability, I'm so thankful to the neurotypicals that allow me to exist because I'm useful. :|

[@adurpandya2742]

The thumbnail is gold

[@KiamatChange-ke8nd]

I am looking for this information. Thanks.

[@Alexrocks1253]

Thanks Anderson and team for the very interesting video :)

[@elyzsabethahne2116]

The Seven Sisters are better known as The Pleiades. Windows 10 was shown in much of the video, but it was nice to see Ubuntu Linux at 7:50 and 8:07, too. I use Ubuntu Budgie regularly, which I very much enjoy.

[@wjb4578]

This was a very interesting piece.

[@scootergirl3662]

This is great, but what I expect will happen is that they will think most autistic people or a bunch of white guys with the occasional non-white guy And a bunch of perfectly talented autistic women will get left out just because people don’t expect them to be autistic Before you go calling me woke, this is from experience, and the people who did finally take a chance on me and hired me were very impressed with my work ethic.

[@buttercupj6208]

I love ❤this story

[@OkKillionaire]

An MBAs dream employee

[@Rafaela20242]

Very good topic